4 JANUARY 1896, Page 35

London Church Staves. By Mary and Charlotte Thorpe. (Elliot Stack.)—This

volume deals with one of the by-ways of Eaglish life. Some of our readers may have seen the preacher in a London church preceded to the pulpit by an official carrying a staff. This staff is, so to speak, a cousin of the Lord Mayor's mace, and even related to the dignified symbol of authority that lies on the table of the House of Commons. Here we have an account, illustrated by sketches, of the various staves which still exist, and, in most cases, are still used in London churches.